Taking It Back
by shinyumbreon2
Summary: Stopping the Chosen, thwarting the Desians, finding a way to save the worlds... It's a hard life. But Yuan, his adoptive niece Robyn, and their fellow Renegades aren't going to let that stop them from taking Cruxis down.
1. Chapter 1: Thieves and Mementos

If you're a true noble thief, there are three rules: never get caught, never steal from those who are poorer than you, and never steal mementos.

The first time I stole something, I didn't think about that.

Not that I broke any of those rule; they just didn't cross my mind. Why would they, considering Mama never told me about a thief's code of honor? I was only five, and not once did Mama ever consider that I should take the path of a thief.

I did. Unintentionally, mind you.

Meltokio is split up into four districts: the Slums, the Commoner's Quarter, the Middle District, and the Upper District. Since I was a kid from the Slums (which - even at a young age - I knew, if Uncle _ever_ found out, he'd pitch the biggest fit ever known in the history of forever), it was dangerous for me to walk around the Middle District and _especially_ the Upper District because we would be tossed in jail under the assumption that we would do...something. But despite my rust red hair and emerald eyes I never stuck out, and because I was small no one noticed me weave in between legs and around dresses.

It was actually fun to walk around the Upper District (and hey, before you get on Mama's case for letting a five-year-old walk around without supervision, remember: Slum kid; we can handle ourselves). I think I thrived off the thrill of avoiding being caught. But I also liked to people watch; I'd overhear snippets of stories and fill in the blanks. I learned who had what money and how they spent it, who owned what business, who had the best and worst fashion sense, so on and so forth. I also learned who were the nicest people and who were downright assholes.

For the women, it had to be "Lady" Cassandra Miller.

"Lady" in gender only, by the way. Mama was more of a lady than her.

She had the most underhanded way of insulting people, and she insulted _everyone_. I think the only thing she cared about besides herself was her jewelry. She'd flaunt one around, laughing in a snooty, high pitched voice about how _that_ piece of jewelry (that I was pretty sure she bought with her _husband's_ hard earned money, Martel bless his soul) was the absolute _best_ when - just the day before - she had proclaimed some _other_ piece of jewelry was so lustrous _nothing_ could compete.

So when she accidentally dropped her pure gold necklace with a palm-sized ruby without realizing it, I snatched it and began to calmly stride home.

Looking back, I'm pretty sure one of the women Cassandra was talking to spotted me, but since pretty much _everyone_ hated the pale pink haired woman, she didn't say anything. It wasn't until I was at the last of the stairs that were right in front of the gates to the city that I heard a loud, piercing shriek from somewhere far behind me, and as I stopped and turned like everyone else I smirked triumphantly. A few moments later people went back to their daily lives, and I continued my way to our tent we called home.

"Did you have a good walk?" Mama asked as I entered. We were probably the most fortunate out of the tent Slummers; we had a big enough tarp to cover us completely and we were up against the wall, two mattresses, a few pots and pans, a container to store food, and two or three changes of clothes.

"Yep," I replied. Then I smiled and showed her the gaudy necklace. "And I 'found' this."

Mama stared at it like it was... Well, it _was_ gold, so I guess that analogy doesn't work. "Where did you find that?" she whispered in awe.

"Cassandra Miller dropped it," I explained. "So I took it."

"Is that what that scream was about?" she realized.

"Uh huh."

Most mothers would scold their children and order them to give it back before teaching them about how stealing was wrong. Mama wasn't most mothers.

"Did you get caught?" she questioned.

"Nope."

For a while she stared at the necklace, and finally she looked at me and beamed proudly. "My dear Robyn, there's hope for you," she congratulated.

I was a bit confused, and so Mama revealed a secret to me and finally gave a reason as to why we would occasionally go on continental trips.

Reason we had more stuff than everyone else? When Mama wasn't making decent bread out of stale flour, she was stealing from the rich.

Forget living in the Slums, _that_ is what Uncle Yuan would pitch a fit over.

...

Speaking of Yuan, when I learned about mementos, it was around when I was eight. Thankfully Mama and I happened to be on the road at the time, like we always were (Mama thanked Martel - something she very rarely did - for our marvelous luck). He and Mama were talking - mostly about me since it was apparently Uncle's job to look out for me - and while they talked I noticed something on the ground. It was a gold painted ring, nothing fancy, though on the inside were some strange letters I couldn't read.

 _Is this elven?_ I wondered. It would make sense, since Yuan was a half-elf.

I never cared about that fact, which is crazy to think about in Tethe'alla. But to me, Yuan was Yuan, nothing more and nothing less.

Mama, noticing that we were running out of water, went to find a fresh spring to get more. So it was just the two of us; he got himself lost in a book, and in my left hand I was playing with the ring, moving it between my fingers.

"Uncle," I finally piped up. He looked up. It had taken him a few years to get used to me calling him that, since I wasn't his blood niece, not to mention he had a hard time being...affectionate. But I _was_ three when I gave him the title, and good luck trying to convince a three-year-old _not_ to do something, especially when it makes you flustered. "Is this yours?"

He stared at the ring and took it from my hand. "Yes, it is," he replied, surprised. "I hadn't realized I dropped it. Thanks."

"What is it?" I asked.

"A ring," Yuan stated like it was the most obvious thing ever. There was amusement in his light green eyes, and I huffed.

"I meant what _type_ of ring is it?" I corrected.

"That's better." I huffed again. "It's an engagement ring."

"You're getting married?" I gasped, filled with excitement.

But sadly, Yuan shook his head. "It's from...a very long time ago," he revealed. "My fiancée died, and this is all I have left of her."

Suddenly I felt very guilty. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

Yuan chuckled with amusement and sadness. "I know you don't mean to offend, Robyn," he assured. I nodded but still looked at the ground in shame.

We sat in silence for a very long time, with the only noise being the crackling of the fire. "What... What does it say?" I finally inquired quietly.

"I swear to true love," he recited, not even bothering to read the words from the ring. He probably had them burned in his brain.

"She... She must have been nice," I muttered.

"That and more," he whispered. "That and more."

When Yuan left the next morning, I looked at Mama. "Did you know he has a gold engagement ring?" I informed.

She raised an eyebrow. "No, he never told me," she said. "Is he getting married?"

"His fiancée died a long time ago," I explained.

"Then if you're thinking of stealing it, don't," she warned, her brown eyes narrowed and her voice stern. I gulped; Mama was rarely like that, but when she was, she meant business. "Robyn, there are three rules to honorable thieves: never get caught, never steal from those who are poorer than you, and never steal mementos."

"Mementos?" I repeated.

"It's something someone keeps as a reminder of a person or place. You are _never_ to steal anything like that, understand?" I nodded. "Good. Now, since your uncle isn't here, let's hurry to Sybak. We're a day behind, and I don't want to lose anymore." I nodded again, and we packed up and began to move towards the Tethe'alla Bridge.

Never steal mementos. Everything else is fair game.

That mentality is what started this whole crazy train called my life.


	2. Chapter 2: The Young Renegade

If I hadn't known the true reason, I would've assumed the reason Robyn's father put her in my care was because he couldn't handle her.

Not that the theoretical reason would be _completely_ farfetched, mind you.

Okay, I was fond of the girl. She was smart, caring, and respectful. Most importantly, she was happy, which matched up with her father's wishes. And after so many years of her calling me "Uncle", it seemed so natural, and the days where she didn't call me that for one reason or another I would be concerned. Those days were rare, though.

But that didn't mean Robyn couldn't be a _handful_.

Her main problem was that she asked a lot of questions, and during lessons that was great. About other things... It was tricky. I had to carefully word some info or dodge questions entirely in order to not reveal that I was a 4,000-year-old angel who was pretty much responsible for everything terrible ever. I couldn't even say much about her parents (which was an unfortunate frequently brought-up topic), lest she get into trouble. If Yggdrasill ever found out who her parents were...

Don't... Don't make me think about it.

Still, I was always glad to be around her and her adoptive mother, Meredith. I still felt bad for dropping the girl into the woman's lap without any sort of warning, but she always assured me she never cared. Robyn was in good hands with a good woman like Meredith.

...So I thought.

Alright, that's not _entirely_ true, because Meredith _is_ a good woman, it's just... I'm not really making any sense. Let me start over.

Robyn had turned ten the week before the news came in from the Pope of Meltokio that thieves were robbing him and his soldiers. If it had been about his money and their weapons (which were the main items stolen), I'm pretty sure none of us would have cared. The problem was that along with the money and weapons, a report about the Exspheres had gone missing as well. When _that_ part reached Yggdrasill's ears, he wasn't very happy. He was about to order Kratos to investigate when I decided to volunteer, for multiple reasons.

Kratos still didn't want to go to the surface, even if it wasn't Sylvarant. He would go if Yggdrasill ordered him (which made me mad that he felt everything was so meaningless that he was willing to come back and turn a blind eye again), but I knew it would pain him.

Since the thieves were hovering around Meltokio, I was concerned about Robyn and Meredith. I knew they lived in the city (though I had never been to Meredith's house before), so I was worried the thieves might hurt them.

And lastly, back to Kratos... Just trust me, it was better if he didn't go.

Yggdrasill agreed to my request, and once he left I looked at Kratos and smiled. "You're welcome," I stated. He didn't answer - as he tended not to anymore - and I frowned inwardly before teleporting to Tethe'alla, near its capital city.

As my plan of action, I decided to act as a lone, foolish traveler with no weapons. I also kept my hood up, just in case one of the thieves recognized me for one reason or another. I waited until a few hours before sunset, and then I began moving north, where the thieves were said to be.

I kept my senses heightened throughout the journey, especially my hearing, and moved towards the trees, since that was where they would most likely be hiding. It took about an hour before I finally heard...

Wait... Was that _one_ set of footsteps?

 _Don't tell me it's just_ _ **a**_ _thief,_ I grumbled.

To be fair, it could have just been a scout, but if my hunch was correct...

Why did we have the Pope on our side again?

Oh right, Exspheres. I guess.

The thief tailed me, and the only reason I heard the barely audible footsteps was because of my angelic hearing. I tried to sniff out their scent, but they kept themselves downwind of me. _Clever,_ I admitted. Whoever this was knew what they were doing. And they didn't let up, either. It probably became boring for them, trailing me as slowly as they were, but the thief never stopped. At least, not until I did.

I looked at the sun as if I were gauging the time before sunset (which in a way I was) and decided it would be best to set up camp. I went into the woods, with my pursuer tailing me excellently.

If I weren't an angel or a half-elf, I'd be none the wiser to whoever it was.

I found a small clearing and purposefully put my pack on the ground as I went to find rocks to make a fire ring. While I was "distracted", the thief made their move, still as quiet as ever. I could hear the thief getting closer, and closer, and-

Suddenly I whipped around, and in an instant I was by my pack again with the thief's wrist in my hand. I lifted them to their feet and opened my mouth to say something threatening, only to close it immediately. Meanwhile, she was staring back with wide emerald eyes, realizing who I was as well. We stood there staring for what felt like hours before I finally opened my mouth again.

"Robyn?" I asked. "What are you doing?"

"Um..." Her eyes darted away, probably trying to think of an explanation. She finally met my eyes again. "Initiation," she answered.

"Initiation," I repeated. Robyn nodded. "Initiation for what?"

 _Why did he have to ask that?_ her eyes seemed to whine. "Uh..." I gave her the look, the one that told her she better not lie. She gulped. "Mama says this is the only way she'll let me be a thief on my own."

...Martel, my love, give me strength.

"A _thief_?"

"Is...that bad?"

Sweet Luna, she hadn't been told of the _consequences_ for her actions.

"Yes, Robyn, being a thief is bad," I told her. "Besides, I thought Meredith sold bread."

"She does," Robyn stated.

"Then why do you need to steal?"

"Well..." I gave her the look again, and she bit her lip. "Most people don't have enough money to pay for it."

"Why wouldn't... Oh no. Robyn, _please_ don't tell me you two live in the Slums," I begged.

"Okay," she replied.

They lived in the Slums.

Her father would have my _head_ for this if he found out.

It was a struggle to keep from yelling at her. Anyone who knew me would know that was impressive. But she was only ten; I couldn't exactly use the tactics I used on my men. To help stay levelheaded, I chanted Martel's name, trying to remember her kindness.

"Okay," I breathed. "Let's set up camp. You and I clearly have plenty to talk about." She nodded in shame.

We worked fast, and soon there was a fire with meat cooking over it (even if I didn't need to eat, I had to play the part of a normal traveler, and I was glad I did). Robyn began to explain her adoptive mother's situation. Apparently something - a something that the woman wouldn't divulge - happened to Meredith's family when she was a little girl, and they were forced into the Slums. Eventually her family members either moved out or died, and originally all she had was her bread-making skills before she realized she had a knack for thievery.

"So she began to steal," Robyn finished. "She didn't want me involved in that part of her life, at least at the beginning. Someone dropped their necklace, and I took it for myself."

"And how old were you?" I questioned.

"Five." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I'm sorry!"

"Forget your father, _both_ of your parents would kill me if they knew about this," I muttered.

There was silence. "But Mom's dead," she whispered.

Right, she was. I knew that. "Theoretically speaking," I waved off. "But besides that, you can't go around stealing people's thing, Robyn. They worked hard to get whatever you took."

"I only take money!" she defended. "And I take it from the _really_ rich people! _And_ I only take enough for us to have food and clothing! **_And_** I don't take mementos!"

"Even so, Robyn, you could get thrown in jail for stealing," I pointed out.

"I'm already at a risk anyway since I'm a Slum kid," she countered. I resisted the urge to groan. "Is there anything else, Uncle?"

 _Was_ there anything? I thought about it, and then I remembered why I was out here in the first place. The second I realized that I sat up straighter and looked at her dead in the eye.

"Robyn..." I began very slowly. "Are you the one stealing from the Pope and his men?"

Once again, there was silence as she looked away from me. When she looked back, instead of the guilty, sad look she had throughout our time together, she had the fire of determination in her emerald eyes. Her fist was clenched and her mouth was in a straight, serious line.

"Of course I have," she proclaimed boldly. "He's the biggest asshole of them all. So I've been stealing from his patrol for the past week. Mostly I took money and small weapons."

"And what about a report on Exspheres?" I continued cautiously.

"Was that what that piece of paper was about?"

I finally lost it.

"What the _hell_?!" I cried, jumping to my feet and not bothering to hide my frustration or use clean language. After all, she clearly knew coarse language herself. "Robyn, do you realize how _dangerous_ that is?!"

"Yeah, he's the Pope," she responded, showing a bit of attitude as she rose to her feet as well. "But someone needs to put that racist silver-tongued snob in his place."

"That's not the point!" I argued, ignoring the pride I felt for her nondiscrimination against half-elves. "Your thefts have caught the attention of someone _much_ more powerful than the Pope!"

Robyn tilted her head. "The King?" she guessed.

" _Far_ more powerful," I informed.

She gulped. "T-the Chosen?"

" ** _Far_** more powerful."

"Wh-who's more p-powerful than the Chosen?"

I opened my mouth and then closed it and adverted my eyes. Could I really tell her? If I said who wanted her to be convicted for her crimes, she would want to know more.

Just like her mother; too nosy for her own good.

"Cruxis," I finally divulged.

"Who's that?"

Here we go.

So I told her. I told her when I was from, the Kharlan War, Martel and Mithos, the two worlds, us becoming angels, how Cruxis began, the Desians, the plan for an Age of Lifeless Beings... Anything and everything, besides a truth about one of my friends. The poor girl had enough on her plate. By the end of my story she was mortified. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her violently trembling body, and she stared at me with wide, terrified eyes.

"Y-Yuan." I couldn't hide my frown or my look of shame at the realization that I had lost the privilege of being her uncle. "Th-then, if y-you work f-for Cruxis... Are you g-going to-" She gulped thickly. "T-take me away?"

Even if she wouldn't believe me, I answered honestly anyway. "No," I replied. "I would never hand you over to Yggdrasill. Perhaps if the thief was someone else..." Then I shook my head. "No, maybe not even then."

"Why?" she asked in a quiet voice. "Don't you work for him?"

"I do," I confirmed. "But I haven't agreed with his ideals in a very long time."

"So you just...sit by and _watch_?" she questioned, sounding disgusted though her voice was still low.

I shook my head. "I continue to work with Cruxis because I'm not powerful enough to take Yggdrasill on," I explained. "Mainly, though, it's so I can obtain information without looking suspicious. Truthfully, the Renegades have my full support."

"The Renegades?"

"A few centuries ago, they were just a small rag-tag team of half-elves that despised the Desians for ruining their names even further," I told her. "Though they didn't have the money, resources, or numbers to do anything other than slightly bug patrols. Then I came across them one day."

The gears in her head were turning. "You're their ally," she stated.

"More than that," I corrected. "I am one of the Four Seraphim, and I am also the leader of the Renegades." Robyn stared at me and said nothing, so I continued. "I have sat by and done nothing for too long. I don't know what difference I can make, or how long it will take me to find a way, but I owe it to Martel to try." Unconsciously my fingers grazed over my engagement ring. "I owe it to you."

Robyn continued to stay silent, and then she looked away. I almost looked down in utter shame when I noticed a spark in her eyes. I noticed the gears were moving again, but faster and harder than ever before. She let out a small grunt of confirmation, nodded slightly, and gave off a ghost of a smirk before looking back at me with more determination than I had ever known out of her.

"Yuan, I want to join the Renegades!" she declared.

That caught me off guard. "R-Robyn, this isn't a game, do you realize how-"

"I don't care how dangerous it is!" she interrupted, leaping to her feet. "Do you honestly think, after hearing all of that, that I can just sit by and do nothing? I don't care if the world that's in peril right now is Sylvarant, Tethe'alla could begin to suffer at some point, too! But it's not just about mana; people - humans, half-elves, elves, dwarfs - everyone is suffering because of Yggdrasill, and I won't stand for it!" She pointed at me, an emerald fire burning in her eyes.

"You said you owe me for sitting around all of these years doing nothing! Then let me be a part of the Renegades! And if you don't, I'll just keep asking. I'll even continue to steal from the Pope if I have to, just to let you know that I'm serious."

All I could do was stare wide-eyed, and for a while there was no sound but the crackling firewood. Then, I began to chuckle. "Stubborn, perhaps too much for your own good. Just like your mother," I noted. "Both of them."

I stood up and walked over to her, pleased that she didn't back down, that she was no longer looking at me with scared eyes.

"Very well. We'll ask Meredith in the morning. But know this, Robyn: the work we do is _dangerous_ , and I mean it. You won't be going on missions until you're older and trained up. And I'm a tough taskmaster; when I say you do something, you do it. Understood?"

"Yes!" she responded.

I couldn't help but be proud. "Your thieving skills might actually come in handy," I realized with a smirk.

"I thought you said being a thief was bad," she joked sarcastically, matching my smirk. I chuckled.

We slept outside, and in the morning - while Robyn ate a roll of bread - we headed for Meltokio. She led me to their tent house in the Slums, which I still couldn't believe I hadn't noticed they lived in this part of the city. Meredith jumped when I entered the place, but I waved my hand, telling her I let it slide (slightly, but she didn't need to know).

Knowing we were under tarp and not bricks, I kept my voice low as I explained the whole story over again. Meredith looked disgusted but not as terrified as Robyn had been, and I could tell very little of her anger was towards me.

"It's not I believed in the Goddess anyway," the blonde haired woman grumbled. I resisted the urge to chuckle, especially when she began to speak again in an attempt to dig herself out of the hole she thought she dug. "I-I don't mean to say anything bad about Martel, I'm sure she was an excellent person! I was just... Uh..."

"I know you don't mean to offend," I assured.

"O-oh! Good." She cleared her throat and grinned. "Well, I'm sad to see my little birdie fly off, but if it's for something like this, I think I'll live," Meredith stated.

"You seem to be taking this rather well," I commented.

Meredith laughed heartily. She always had the type of laugh that came right from the pit of her stomach. "Yuan, I was 99.9% _sure_ you flew down - like, with _wings_ \- the night you put Robyn in my care," she revealed.

Yes, I remember. Robyn's father had been in such a panicked state when he gave her to me I went into a frenzy of my own. "He always has to make this difficult," I mumbled, mostly to myself.

"That's what friends are for," Meredith laughed again. I rolled my eyes, though I suppose she had a point. "Now, before you go..." Without warning, she slapped Robyn's left cheek. The girl yelped and pouted as she rubbed the red skin. "What were you _thinking_ when you thought it would be a good idea to steal from the _Pope_?!" I laughed.

"Not you too," Robyn muttered. "Fine, I'll tell you the same thing I told Uncle: the Pope's a racist silver-tongued snobby asshole."

I laughed again, not only because Robyn got slapped on the other cheek, but also out of relief that I hadn't actually lost my title. "Young lady, where did you learn such language?" Meredith scolded.

"Owen uses language like that all the time!" Robyn whined.

"Owen is almost 18 and is - last time I checked - _not_ your mother," the brown-eyed woman countered.

Robyn pouted again and away from both of us. "...I'll make sure to visit," she finally said.

Her adoptive mother smiled. "Good," she replied. "And you make sure to do good, okay?"

"Absolutely!" Robyn promised.

"That's the kind of attitude we need," I praised. Then I stood up. "Do you want to leave now or tomorrow?"

The girl looked at Meredith, who smiled bigger. "Go on, Birdie, don't worry about me," she told her daughter. Robyn smiled back, hugged Meredith, and then we left.

"We're going to Flanoir," I announced when we left the city. I didn't want to risk the off chance of spies. "Right now we're mainly positioned in the Triet Base, but the only way to get there is on a Rheaird, and those are at the Flanoir Base."

"Rheaird?" she repeated. "What's that?"

"It'll be easy to explain once we get to the Base."

"Oh." I counted to three. "But, how are we going to get to Flanoir? That's... _really_ far."

"Not if I fly."

I suddenly scooped her into my arms and released my purple mana wings. Robyn stared at them with surprise, awe, and wonder. She had probably thought my wings would be white feathers, like a traditional angel.

Then again, I'm not exactly a traditional angel to begin with.

I took to the skies and headed northeast, with the girl pulling herself closer to me as we flew towards the snowy continent, and I looked at her as she did. Truthfully, I didn't know how helpful Robyn would be. It wasn't that I didn't trust her, but she was by far the youngest member of the Renegades. Then I remembered how Mithos had been fourteen when he fought in the Kharlan War. I almost wanted to turn around, drop her off, and order her to never bring up the subject again.

Though, maybe this was a second chance to bring a child into a fight. Maybe this was a second chance to protect someone I held dear.

Thinking those thoughts, I smirked.

...

"Did you find the thieves?" Yggdrasill asked.

"There were none in the areas the Pope and his men passed by," I falsely reported. "Either they moved on and left no traces, or the report had been misplaced. Though, it wouldn't be hard to get another report."

Yggdrasill pondered my "report". "Very well," he sighed. "You _are_ the best tracker, so I'll trust your intuition." There was a look in his eyes; he had become wary of traitors after Kratos' stunt, even if that was eight years ago. "You're dismissed."

"Understood."

I left his throne room, and as I walked to the teleporter in Welgaia that went down to the surface, I passed by Kratos. Thinking he would ignore me, I kept walking until I heard him say something.

"Thank you," he said.

I stopped and turned. His back was to me, but I smiled anyway. It was nice to hear his voice since it was rare these days. "About time," I replied. He snorted and resumed walking. I watched him go, and once again my fingers unconsciously ran over my ring. "Don't worry, Kratos, the Renegades and I will find a way to fix this mess. And then Martel, Anna, and Lloyd will be able to rest in peace. And..." I chuckled and shook my head before making my way to the teleporter. "Well, time to see if Kris and Robyn have finished their little task."


	3. Chapter 3: Recruitment Requirements

Botta's face can be scary.

Like, _really_ scary.

But it takes a few seconds to realize he doesn't mean any harm.

Most of the time.

"Lord Yuan, are you sure about this?" he asked Uncle even though he was looking at me. I was kind of hoping he would stop.

"Would I have brought her here if I wasn't?" Uncle countered.

His right hand man closed his eyes in thought. "True," he agreed. "So, Robyn, what can you do?"

"Well, Mama and U- Yuan have taught me how to defend myself," I told him, barely catching my slip-up. Before we entered the Triet Base, Uncle told me I had to either call him by name or even add "Lord" in front of it sometimes. But it was going to be a hard habit to break. "I mean, I can punch and kick, I guess, and I'm pretty good with a combat knife. And I'm a thief, too."

"A thief," Botta repeated, sounding interested. "So young, as well. That gives us time to develop your skills."

"Exactly what I was thinking, Botta," Uncle replied. I couldn't tell if that had actually crossed his mind or if he was bluffing. "Do we have any other new recruits?"

"Yes, actually," the buff man reported. "Two males, and a female. Teru, Reid, and Callie, if I remember correctly. I ordered everyone to be in the large conference room in an hour."

Uncle nodded. "We like to let our men know who they're working with and what abilities they have," he explained to me.

"That makes sense," I said, a little nervous, though I hid it. I had been around plenty of people before as I walked through the crowds of Meltokio, but I hadn't been in _front_ of so many people.

Then something else came to my mind, something much more nerve-wracking. I looked at the ground; I didn't want to see the disgusted looks I figured I would get. "U- Yuan, is everyone in the Renegades a half-elf?"

"And if we are?" Botta questioned, his voice tight.

"Please, don't misunderstand," I began. "I like half-elves. I've known U- Yuan since I was a toddler, and I hate the Pope and a lot of the citizens of Meltokio because of their hatred. But... What if they all hate me because I'm human? I know I shouldn't be scared, but I just... I can't help it."

Neither one of them said anything, and I couldn't see their faces since the tile wasn't going to scrutinize me anytime soon. Then I heard footsteps and the rustling of clothes as I felt hands rest on my shoulders. I looked up and - noticing him kneeling in front of me and the gentle gaze from his light green eyes - realized Uncle had stepped out of the military leader persona he had since we entered the Base.

"Robyn, there's no need to be scared," he assured in a gentle voice I'm sure is reserved for me...pretentious as that sounds. "All of us are half-elves, yes, and some have been injured by humans. But many of them were hurt by Desians, and even those hurt by humans know not all humans are like that. If they did believe that, they'd be with the Desians not us." He smiled and squeezed my shoulders lightly. "We believe in restoring the worlds to their original state and pursuing Martel's _real_ dream. That includes a place for humans, too. So no need to be scared, alright?"

I nodded. "Yes," I smiled, "Uncle." He huffed quietly but continued to smile. Then he stood up.

"Good. Now, we should probably get you out of your old clothes."

"U- Yuan, you could just call them rags," I pointed out. "Let's not dance around the facts."

"Fair," he sighed. "Botta, do you mind taking Robyn into Triet? There's a bit of paperwork I have to do in my office."

"As long as she behaves," his right hand man responded. "I am just as much your boss as Lord Yuan is, so follow my orders."

With the look Uncle gave me, there was no way I _wouldn't_ follow orders. "Yes, sir."

Botta nodded. "Then let's move. We only have an hour."

It didn't take us long to reach the desert city, but even still I was a little worn out. When Mama and I would travel to Sybak, the air was never dry, the temperature was never too cold or hot, and the atmosphere was never...dead, for lack of a better word. Even without the ability to sense mana, I could feel how scarce it was just from other senses.

But the dry, hot air was probably due to the fact that we were in a desert, something Tethe'alla didn't have. If I didn't see Triet with my own eyes, no one could have ever convinced me that people could live in conditions like this.

Then again, perhaps these people wouldn't believe there's a place where you could get sick just from breathing the air.

Besides, Triet itself was too amazing for me to truly care about my exhaustion. Something about the clay-made houses and their primitive technology fascinated me. It was like something out of a fairytale, and yet it was real. I loved their fashions, too. In the Slums, people mostly wore rags or clothes that had worn over time. Here, people dressed in loose, light, long clothing colored like the sand that let their skin breath and also protect it from the sun's harsh rays. It also made Botta blend in well, since no one ever questioned someone wearing a cape and hood.

And when we stepped into the clothing store, I finally realized I could finally pick out and pay for my own clothes.

Ignoring the fact that it was Uncle's money, I felt like I was in _paradise_ finally being able to act like a normal kid in a way. At the same time, though, I knew we had to be fast and that my clothes couldn't be flashy. Luckily, Triet had more than plenty of simple clothing, and so at the end of the trip I found myself with multiple white tank tops, olive green knee-high cargo pants, several pairs of thin socks, brown boots, and a tan hooded cape. I slipped into one of the pairs of clothing, and then we headed back to the Base.

"I'll admit, that went better than I expected," Botta stated, breaking the silence that had been between us to and from Base as we drew nearer. "I've heard girls can be quite the handful."

"I can be," I laughed. "U- Yuan sometimes jokes that my dad gave me to him just so I could be out of his hair."

"You don't...actually _believe_ that?" Botta inquired.

"Sure, when I was four," I replied. "But nowadays, I know Dad didn't do that. I just don't know where he is. I think U- Yuan knows, but he won't tell me."

"Safety reasons," Botta guessed. "By the way, I have a feeling you'll never stop with that verbal tick of yours."

I laughed again. "I've been calling him that for the past seven years," I pointed out. The burly half-elf merely nodded.

Within the next ten minutes we made it to the Base, but even though we went the same amount of distance yet had more to carry, I wasn't as tired. Maybe it was because I had new, clean clothes, or maybe it was the sudden, anxious feeling of meeting the rest of the Renegades. I have a feeling it was the latter, though, because my hands gripped my new cape until my knuckles were almost white.

Botta led me to the conference room, and when I entered the room behind it I bumped into someone, knocking me down. I looked up and saw a man with big blond eyes, steel blue wavy short hair, and elf ears. Despite his friendly smile, I couldn't help but be nervous.

"Sorry 'bout that," he said with sincerity. He held out his hand. "Name's Teru. Nice to meet ya."

"I..." I gulped and shakily took his hand. "I'm...Robyn. I'm new."

Teru laughed lightly as he pulled me up. "There's no need to be nervous," he eased. "I'm new here, too. Though, you look kind of young. Are you an elf?" Then he noticed my ears. "No, but you could be a half-elf." He closed his eyes and hummed. Suddenly his eyes opened and he clicked his tongue. "Nope, you're definitely human. Your mana says so. Wow, I didn't think the Renegades would recruit someone so young."

"I... I'm an exception," I explained quietly.

"Now I'm excited!" Teru declared. "You must be amazing."

"N-n-not really!" I denied, but he just laughed.

"That's what Alan said all the time," he stated. "Just because humans need Exspheres, doesn't mean you can't do incredible things."

"You...knew a human?" I asked.

The half-elf nodded, and I noticed his eyes became slightly somber. "He was my best friend," he revealed. "We lived in Hima, and a few months ago...Desians attacked. Alan was taken to the Asgard Ranch, along with some others." He clenched his fists and spoke in a harsh whisper. "They're going to pay for robbing me of my home, my good name, and my best friend." Then he shook his head and smiled again. "Sorry, I didn't mean to trouble you."

"Ah, no, it's fine," I assured. "Besides, you have a better reason to be here than me."

"Nonsense!" Teru proclaimed. "You want to stop the Desians and make the world a better place; that's reason enough!"

I was about to correct him and say "worlds", but then again it wasn't really important at the moment, and it wouldn't change his motivations. "If you say so," I agreed.

"Of course I say so!" he laughed, and then suddenly I was in a headlock and he proceeded to ruffle my short rust red hair. "I'm older than you, so you have to listen to me!"

"Not when you're as new as the rest of us," a female voice piped up. We looked over to find a woman with long light olive green hair, slim coal black eyes, and her own elf ears. She smiled big. "Come on, stop teasing the poor girl."

"I'm not teasing her," Teru defended. "I'm trying to help her gain some self-confidence."

"Having her in a headlock isn't going to help," the woman pointed out. Immediately I was out of it. "So, Robyn, huh? I'm Callie. Nice to meet you."

"You as well," I replied, starting to feel more at ease. "Do you know him?"

Callie shook her head. "I'm from Palmacosta," she informed. "Originally I worked for the militia - heh, thinking about that, I can't believe they let me, but it never bothered me. Anyway, I felt like we weren't doing enough to stop the Desians. The Renegades, though, seem like they can do something about it."

"Let's hope," came another voice. I jumped at the slight ice in it and whipped around to find another male leaning back in a chair as he read a book. He had short silver hair, narrowed light blue eyes, and human ears. But I guessed he too was a half-elf. "I don't like wasting my time on something that won't go anywhere." He marked his page, stood up, and walked over. He stared down at me. "Reid. That's my name. I was a traveling scholar."

"Traveling scholar?" I repeated.

Unfortunately, he took my curiosity the wrong way, and he glared. "You have a problem with that?" he countered.

I furiously shook my head. "No, not at all!" I exclaimed. "I like to learn! That just surprised me and made me curious, that's all."

Reid's glare softened but his eyes never left me. "The Desians attacked one of my classes," he suddenly brought up. "Twenty humans, and they were all just... _kids_. Fifteen were taken to a Ranch, three were killed, and two were able to get away, though they were severely injured. The only reason the parents didn't rip me to shreds was because the two begged them to let me go after I healed them."

"Do you...hate humans?" I wondered nervously.

"The parents had every right to be enraged," the half-elf reasoned. "I am the adult and the one in charge of their well-being when they're with me, and I know light magic. I just wasn't fast enough." He sighed thoughtfully. "That's why I'm here. Those Desians will not only pay for ruining my career, but also for taking those kids away from their families and friends. Assuming that, again, this isn't a waste of time."

"Bold for a white mage," I heard Uncle comment. He was standing at the door to the main room, and there was the sound of faint murmuring behind him. Beside me, Reid huffed, and I saw a hint of a smirk on Uncle's face. "Are the four of you ready?"

Not like we really had a choice.

We followed Uncle into the conference room and onto a platform. Immediately the room went silent, and I looked at the crowd. Everyone was in uniform except for their helmets, which allowed me to notice that all of their eyes were on me. I breathed out silently, trying to keep calm, as we stopped and faced the crowd.

"Fellow Renegades, these are your new comrades," Botta announced.

He went down the line, starting with Teru. The half-elf from Hima was a black mage with little battle experience. Reid, I learned, was from Palmacosta like Callie, but the white mage hadn't lived there since he was a teenager (in elven years). Speaking of Callie, she was - unsurprisingly - good with a sword and had the most battle experience out of the four of us.

All the while, all eyes continued to be on me.

The Renegades would glance at their fellow half-elves on the platform as they listened to Botta, but I was the center of attention. I did my best not to flinch under their stares. "And finally, this is Robyn," Botta finished. "She is from the city of Meltokio in Tethe'alla, so she will need guidance in the layout of Sylvarant. She is a fighter and a thief, personally picked by Lord Yuan."

 _After I threatened to continue to steal from the Pope,_ I thought.

From the look on Uncle's face out of the corner of my eye, I could tell he was thinking the same thing, or at least something similar. Then, probably knowing I had noticed him, a small sly grin appeared on his face. I didn't dare to respond.

Because the room had fallen into a deafening silence.

For what felt like years, the silence lingered until there was a faint chuckle. Soon it became a full-on laugh. "Lord Yuan, you can't be serious," a female Renegade jeered. She had beige hair wrapped in a bun, steel gray eyes (that at the moment were twinkling with condescending amusement), and human ears. "She's only, what, ten? And can't you sense her mana? She's _human_."

 _Everything's okay, Robyn,_ I assured as I began to hear whispers.

"Who says the Renegades can't have humans in their ranks, Sergeant Kris?" Uncle argued. "Our mission is to reunite the worlds and end discrimination. Wouldn't we seem like hypocrites if we forbade her because of race?" More whispers broke out, realizing the logic behind his argument.

Kris made her rebuttal. "True, but she doesn't have an Exsphere. She won't be able to do anything without it."

Uncle had a solution to that problem. Silently he walked over to me and took my right hand. He put a mount with a dip in the middle on my hand and then took a red pebble-like object out of his pocket. I quickly realized it was an Exsphere, and I didn't want it. These things were made with people's _lives_!

Before he put the... _thing_ in what I now realized was a Key Crest, I stopped him. "I can't use that," I hissed. "That's someone's _life_."

We met eyes, and I realized I wouldn't be winning this argument, no matter what I said. "I know, but it's the only way you're going to be able to keep up with everyone," he stated.

Knowing he was right, I backed down. Uncle placed the Exsphere into the Key Crest without any further interruptions, and when it was in the gold mount I felt a surge of power. It was...exciting, and terrifying.

"Does that help, Sergeant Kris?"

The woman didn't seem pleased. "She's still ten. You can't change _that_."

"Are you assuming she's going out on a mission any time soon?"

"It's just that she's a _kid_!" Kris snapped, not bothering to hide her annoyance anymore. "And what does _she_ know of our oppression? Botta said she's from _Meltokio_ ; pampered little _brat_ probably just _pities_ us- no, she's here for _kicks_ , and-"

She didn't get to finish her thought since I let my anger get away from me as I jumped from the platform and punched her in the face.

Sergeant Kris stumbled back, and the Renegades behind and around her backed up. She shook her head and growled. But I ignored it as I stared her down. "Did it ever occur to you," I began darkly, "that I might have lived in the _Slums_? That maybe I'm not like the rest of the citizens and actually _like_ half-elves? Well, did it, _Sergeant_?"

As expected, she didn't take kindly to my comment. "I am your _superior_ ," she growled. "Don't you disrespect me." Then she snickered. "And you're going to pay for starting a fight with me."

"I wasn't trying to start a fight," I tightened my fists, "but if you insist, I'll take you on."

"Robyn, Kris, don't you dare-"

But we ignored Uncle... Or, Yuan at the moment. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't want me being affectionate right then. Because when Yuan gave orders and was ignored, no one won in the end.

Of course, I didn't know about his true wrath, and Kris didn't seem to care.

Kris charged first, and that made her completely vulnerable. I quickly slipped to the side and kicked her stomach. Thinking she would be stunned for a bit, I went to trip her, but she jumped out of the way. Then, in a flash, she kicked me in the temple. I slammed onto the floor, as if the pain to the side of my head wasn't enough.

But I wasn't about to back down, so I pushed myself to my feet with a small groan, but immediately I had to dodge another attack. I grabbed her arm, pulled her forward, and punched her face again. She staggered backwards and, noticing that a little blood trickling from her nose, snarled at me.

This wasn't ending anytime soon.

We traded blows for what felt like hours. Realizing she wasn't getting anywhere, Kris snapped her fingers. "Cora, get it!" she ordered.

A woman with light teal hair perked up. "But, ma'am, you can't-"

" _Now_!" the sergeant barked.

Immediately the Renegade scrambled off, quickly came back with a spear, and threw it to her commanding officer, who proceeded to point it at me and show off its sharp metal head. Kris gave off a smirking grin.

"Wanna keep messing with me now, _brat_?"

There were a few cries in protest, and I'm pretty sure Yuan yelled out something as well, but I ignored all of them with a snicker. "So now that you have your big stick, you want to speak softly? Somehow that doesn't seem like you, _Sergeant_ ," I antagonized.

Kris' smirk got bigger, but her eyes were blazing with rage. "And you're still all bark," she shot back before lunging at me.

I tried to dodge her weapon, but I misjudged how long it was, either that or she used a special technique to extend the reach. Whatever the case, it pierced my leg, right above my knee. And it _hurt_. I bit my tongue to avoid making any type of noise, and I tasted blood when she yanked her spear out, which cause blood to flow out from my leg. There were more cries, but again they were ignored as Kris went for another strike. Despite my injury I dodged her thrust, yet as soon as I was standing I had to dodge another attack.

The half-elf was relentless. She wouldn't cease her thrusts, and after a couple of nicks to my arm and leg, I knew I had to find my own weapon to counter. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a silver haired Renegade with a roughly 7" combat knife in a holster. After dodging another thrust and making up my mind, I dashed over to the male half-elf and snatched the knife from its place. He barely had time to know what happened as I ran towards Kris and threw the knife. It pierced her left shoulder, and she recoiled. Then I yanked the knife out, causing her to grunt loudly and blood to run out of the wound. She glared, her lips curled into a snarl.

"Consider that payback," I sneered.

She cursed me out under her breath. "Fine, you wanna play rough?" she hissed. Overlooking her injured arm, she spun her spear and pointed it at me again. "Let's play rough."

We hadn't even begun to fight.

For the next few minutes, sounds of metal hitting metal or wood or...flesh (I didn't even know that _made_ a sound) filled the room. There were also grunts and inhales of breath through clenched teeth. I was thoroughly exhausted, but I tried not to let it show. Neither did Kris, but when we separated after another clash, she proved to me that we weren't doing a very good job. Still, both of us were stubborn, probably to a fault, so we took a few quick steps towards each other.

"ENOUGH!" Yuan roared. He slammed his double bladed sword in between us, and I was honestly worried he would use Thunder Explosion. We stopped in our tracks and stared at him with wide eyes. Meanwhile, he glared, and there was a really, _really_ scary aura around him. "I have ordered the two of you to cease this fight three times already! I will _not_ be ignored again!" Then his glare was entirely on me. I flinched. "Robyn, _never_ disobey or disrespect your commanding officer ever again, do you **understand**?"

"Y-yes, Lord Yuan," I replied.

Yuan's glare lingered a bit longer, and then he turned towards his sergeant. "Kris, you will _not_ disrespect your fellow comrade, and you will _not_ question my judgment, are we **clear**?"

"She's the-"

"Are. We. **CLEAR**?"

The woman gulped. "Y-yes, sir," she finally agreed.

"Good." He turned around. "Reid, right?"

"Yes, sir," the white mage responded.

"As your first task, I need you to heal these two," Yuan ordered.

Now that he mentioned my injuries and realized my adrenaline wasn't high, I could feel the numerous cuts and punctures along my arms and legs.

Not only did it hurt like an SOB, but I had _just_ bought these clothes.

While Reid chanted an incantation for Nurse, Yuan turned to another Renegade. "Quill."

"Sir!" came an enthusiastic cry from somewhere in the back.

"Get a bucket full of water and soap, and get plenty of clean rags. After that, I want you to escort Teru and Reid around the Base." There was another cry of confirmation before he ran off. At that moment Reid finished his spell casting and healed Kris and I. Never had I felt so refreshed. My clothes were still cut open, though. "The rest of you are dismissed. _Except_ for the two of you." Yuan was glaring at us again. "You two are going to clean the floor," he commanded. We looked at the ground, finally noticing all of the blood on the metal. "I have something to attend to, and when I come back I better be able to see my reflection, understood?"

"Understood," we both answered.

"Lord Yuan," Botta piped up, "if you don't mind me asking, where do you have to go?"

Our leader looked at me blankly, and then he smirked. I was confused. "I have to make sure this little shit-starter doesn't get into trouble with Cruxis," he explained.

No one but me understood what he meant, but everyone felt the need to giggle or snicker under their breath. My face heated up, and I looked at the ground. "I hate you," I grumbled.

"Of course," Yuan waved off. "All of you are dismissed."

"YES SIR!" came a unified shout before everyone went their separate ways. Reid and Teru waited with the sergeant and I, and I had noticed Callie had walked off with a female half-elf with long silver hair.

 _Lucky,_ I thought.

Soon, who I assumed to be Quill came back into the room with two buckets and plenty of rags hanging over his arms. He had forest green hair up in a small ponytail, light yellow eyes, elf ears, and a toothy grin.

"Here you ladies are, two buckets of warm, soapy water, perfect for cleaning," he announced. He set one down next to Kris and shrugged off a few rags before coming over to me. He grinned even wider; I was wondering how that was possible. "It's really nice to meet another Tethe'allan, by the way. There aren't many of us." The half-elf set the bucket and rags down. "But Meltokio... I've always wanted to visit, but it's not exactly the safest of places for me."

"It's not as impressive as some of the citizens like to think," I brushed off. "They all think too high and mighty of themselves." He laughed. "Where are you from?"

"Flanoir," he informed.

"See, _you're_ the lucky one," I told him. " _I've_ always wanted to visit Flanoir. I hear it's an amazing city. Yuan wouldn't let me explore when we passed by it, though."

"Speaking of Yuan, I hope you don't expect me to be the only one following his orders," Kris intervened. "Get on your knees and get to scrubbing."

I sighed. "Right."

"So, uh, what's this Tethe'alla you're talking about?" Teru suddenly asked. Reid slapped his forehead. "What? It's a legitimate question."

Quill laughed. "Everything will be explained, newbie," he assured.

"Newbie?" Teru repeated, sounding slightly offended.

"That _is_ what we are," Reid pointed out with a huff. "Let's go already; we'll get in their way."

The two more friendly males waved to us before all three of them left, and so it was just Kris and I. Silently we got to work scrubbing the floor. Some of the blood had begun to dry, so it was harder to get out. I was glad Yuan had been merciful enough to let us be healed, or else I swear my arms would have fallen out of their sockets. Then again, he probably only did it so more blood didn't spill, and if there was a way to stop our wounds from opening yet keep the pain, he probably would have done-

"Meltokio, huh?" I jumped at Kris' statement. "I haven't been there, either. So, is it impressive or not?"

"I mean, it's big and grand," I admitted, "and the Coliseum is fun to visit. But then you take a wrong turn and suddenly you're in the Slums, and you suddenly realize that almost everyone in Meltokio could care less about anyone but themselves. The city loses its magic once you learn that."

Kris snorted. "I suppose it would," she said.

We were silent again, but it didn't last as long. "Judging by your question, you're from Tethe'alla, too?" I guessed.

"Sybak," she confirmed. "It's just about the worst place for a half-elf."

"After Ozette," I pointed out. "And possibly Meltokio."

"Yes and possibly."

"What did you do in Sybak?" I inquired. "Mama and I visited sometimes," _To steal,_ I added in my head, "but we never stayed long to know anything other than there was a library and a university."

"Half-elves are prisoned - oh, I'm sorry, allowed to stay - in the basement of the university," Kris explained with a hint of bitterness. "Most of them are scientists, and they were working on something. I wasn't allowed to know. I was just a guard charged with killing anyone that wasn't authorized to be down there. But whatever it was - or maybe is - I had a feeling it wasn't anything good."

All I could do was hum and nod.

"We were treated like cattle, especially Kate," Kris continued. "If it had been anyone else, I would have been angry but nothing more. Kate, however, is the Pope's daughter, and he treated her like vomit was worth more."

Everything just went in one ear and out the other after I learned about the Pope's child. "The Pope has a _half-elf daughter_?" I exclaimed, disgusted.

"My sentiments exactly," the beige haired woman spat. "He might as well be a Grand Cardinal, and the university might as well be a Ranch, except instead of humans as slaves it's half-elves. Like I said, Kate got the worst of it, and I felt horrible for her. I told her to let me slit her father's throat or at the very least tell him to go have a fancy night with himself, but she always refused. I never understood it."

"Battered Child Syndrome," I stated.

"What?"

"That's what some people in Meltokio would say," I elaborated. "One kid I knew had the same problem. He would constantly be abused by his mother, and I always told him to just leave. But he always argued against it, saying that she did it out of love and his own safety. We've never been in that type of situation, so it's hard for us to understand how they truly feel. At least, that's what this kid named Owen told me."

Kris sighed. "I suppose. Anyway, I had been working as a guard to that place for...forty, fifty years, maybe. Or was it sixty? Doesn't matter. Kate was thrown in about thirty years ago, and even though she was younger than me, we were very good friends. One day, I had enough of the Pope's racism and Kate's refusal to do anything, so I let my mouth run like an idiot." Then she stopped, and after a few seconds she chuckled. "Heh, guess you and I are more alike than I realized." I couldn't help but smile. "The Pope would have cut off my head had Yuan not been with him."

"Yuan was there?" I repeated, surprised.

"Probably doing Cruxis things," Kris guessed. "He said he would 'properly punish' me, and since Yuan is of higher power and looks human, the Pope didn't object. I was given a minute to say goodbye to everyone, and I tried to convince Kate to sneak out and join me." The half-elf sighed again. "She refused, as I kind of expected. Then Yuan brought me here, and I've been working for the Renegades for the last fifteen years."

"But why?" I questioned. "You don't like humans."

"I don't like quite a few," she corrected. "The reason I lashed out at you was because Botta said you were from Meltokio. I jumped to conclusions."

"It's not like my big mouth helped," I finally accepted, swallowing my pride. "Sorry I punched you in the face."

"Sorry for making it go that far," she bounced back. I smiled again. "I'll say, you're really good with combat knives."

"Mama taught me," I told her. "But I could do better. You're really good with your spear."

The sergeant chuckled. "Yep, Adilya has gotten me out of some tough situations."

"Adilya?"

"If you become really attached to your weapon, you should give it a name. It makes it more personal, and gives you a reason to fight your best so you will never lose it. At least, that's what I believe." I hummed in thought. "That half-elf you took that knife from while we fought, that's Derrick. He's another sergeant here, and he's good with combat knives as well. I'll see if he'd be willing to train you."

I smiled even wider. "I'd like that."

...

"Wow, you two, I'm impressed," Yuan complimented when he came back. "When I said I want to see my reflection I was speaking figuratively. Excellent job."

It better have been, considering my arms felt like they were going to snap off.

"Maybe I should have you do the whole room," he continued, a playful tone in his voice.

Not caring about the consequences, I threw one of the dirty, wet rags at his face.

"You know, I could go back up and tell Yggdrasill I _did_ catch the thief," our leader threatened. I stuck my tongue out at him.

Kris sighed. "Is there anything else we need to do, Lord Yuan?" she asked.

"Lead Robyn around the Base and show her everything," my guardian ordered. "After that, both of you are free for the rest of the day." Then he smirked at me. "And don't cause her any trouble." I stuck my tongue out at him again, but he just smirked wider and walked off.

"Well, we have until dinner," Kris stated. "I'll show you the living half today, and tomorrow I'll show you the part that's modeled after a Human Ranch."

"Why is there a part designed like a Ranch?" I questioned.

"It helps us look even more like Desians and slip into their ranks," Kris explained. "So, you ready to go?"

"As long as there's no heavy lifting," I told her.

She laughed. "I have to agree with you there." She began walking to the door. "Come on, let's go complete your recruitment requirements."

I nodded and began to follow her, ready to explore my new home.


	4. Chapter 4: Knife Play

**A/N: I LIIIIIVE!**

 **Okay, to be fair, I was planning on holding this one off more than the others, anyway. The Tales of Symphonia stories are mostly ignored. Which sucks, but that's how the world works.**

* * *

Robyn flew back once more, and I heard the familiar thump of her body on the training floor.

"You keep leaving yourself wide open," I told her. "Get up. Resume your stance again."

There was a grumble of protest no human would ever catch, but I'm sure the young girl kept forgetting she was around only half-elves. She finally got to her feet and held her fake combat knives out in a defensive position.

"I'm ready, Sergeant Derrick," she reported, and I barely caught the hint of irritation.

Her irritation, though, was causing her downfall.

In what was becoming a normal routine, I darted forward, trying to break through the defense she had put up. As it had been for the past couple of days, she blocked a few of the attacks before I found a weak spot and shoved her back. Again I heard the thump and a grumble, and I sighed.

"Robyn, the more frustrated you get, the harder this will be," I warned. "I understand we've been going through this stance for two days, but the Earth and Heaven stance is one of the basic stances of dual combat knives."

With a huff, she was back on her feet. "It's just so irritating that I can't get this right," she voiced.

"No one is expecting you to be a master by the end of the week," I pointed out, running my hand through my short silver hair. "We have months, years quite possibly, before Lord Yuan allows you to go out on a mission."

"I know," she sighed. "It's just that everyone here is so much more experienced."

"Everyone here is also older than you," I countered. "Besides, not all of us were well trained when we got here." Then I looked to the edge of the training room and glared at the person leaning back in the chair. "Speaking of which..."

The new black mage, Teru I reminded myself, grinned. "What? Quill's doing chores, and I wanted to watch my fellow new recruit," he defended. I sighed. Newbies. "Hey, by the way, why are you using two knives, Robyn? Hoping you'll get double the attack power?"

"There's no one in either world dumb enough to believe that just because you have two weapons you have double the power," Robyn countered, rolling her eyes. "The reason I have two weapons is because while it can be risky and leave yourself more wide open, it can also be a great benefit and help catch opponents off guard, and when someone's trained right, you'll almost never be defenseless."

"Well, at least you have the philosophy of it down," I stated. "Keep that in mind. Let's try that last stance again."

We went at it a few more times, and Robyn seemed more focused. Perhaps saying her thoughts out loud had helped, or perhaps she was entertaining the idea that there _was_ someone that stupid and became determined to not _be_ that person. Either way, her demeanor was calmer (though, admittedly, not by all that much), allowing her to concentrate on improving her form. I was about to attack again when I heard her stomach grumble. Robyn clearly wanted to ignore it, but her muscles needed nutrition and time to relax.

"I'm pretty hungry," I declared, which wasn't really a lie. "Let's take a break for lunch; I'm sure you're hungry, too."

I knew she wanted to protest, but she knew how pointless an argument would be. She dropped her stance and nodded. "Alright," she agreed.

Teru followed us to the kitchens, apparently bored, hungry, or both. We entered, and the cooks looked up from the food. The head chef, Dorris, beamed.

"Ah, there you two are!" she exclaimed, her sapphire eyes gleaming. Then again, they were almost always gleaming. But Robyn had brought back a motherly glow I hadn't seen in years. "I was afraid I'd have to send someone after you like I did yesterday. A growing girl needs her exercise, but she needs to eat, too. And I like how this growing girl eats with gusto."

"O-oh, um... Thank you?" Robyn replied, flustered and unsure how to answer.

Dorris let out her loud, gut-filled laugh. "It's a good thing!" the woman assured. "Not like your uncle. The man may be an angel, but he should at least have an excuse to take a break."

Ah yes. It had been the night after Robyn arrived. She had been talking to Teru and Quill, and apparently at some point during the new half-elf's teasing, Robyn got angry and accidentally revealed Lord Yuan was her uncle... Well, it was more likely that he was her guardian, but they were probably close enough to feel like family.

Anyway, like the immature adults they were, Teru and Quill screamed the revelation loudly, and suddenly all eyes were on the poor ten-year-old human girl. When she was being introduced, I was impressed by her ability to hide the nervousness I'm sure she was feeling.

That night wasn't the same way.

Her face was beet red and her eyes were impossibly wide. It didn't help when Lord Yuan made his rare appearance in the mess hall. I was pretty sure Robyn's entire _body_ went red before she bolted out so fast everyone swore she was a blur.

The room was deadly quiet before our leader finally asked, "Someone want to tell me what that was about?"

Judging by his eyes, if anyone had hypothetically insulted her, things would not end up well.

"Quill and Teru were asking her some questions about herself, Lord Yuan," I explained, standing up. He looked at me, prompting me to continue. "While she was doing so, she brought up her relation to you."

"I see," he commented. Then he looked at everyone in the cafeteria. "Let me assure all of you: Robyn being my niece did not influence my decision to bring her into the Renegades. She is judged on her abilities, not our relation. That extends to all of you. Being exceptionally kind to her will not win more points with me, and Robyn will not get off easier than any of you." He smirked. "As I'm sure she and Sergeant Kris will be happy to share."

Kris growled, rubbing her arms in remembrance, while some soldiers snickered.

"If you don't mind me asking, is she your blood niece?" I inquired, knowing the answer was probably no.

Lord Yuan eyed me again. "Robyn and I aren't related by blood, but she's still my responsibility," he revealed.

"Then why bring her onto the Renegades? What we do is dangerous," someone piped up, bringing forth a good point.

A point that our leader answered in a way that made sense and didn't at the same time.

"Because her father had to have Robyn with the most stubborn woman on _both_ worlds," he grumbled.

So, in a way, Robyn became princess of the compound. Not that she liked being called or treated like that; it reminded her too much of Meltokio. A month after the reveal, one person dared it as a joke, and the human girl sent him to the recovery room. In turn, Lord Yuan took her to do some "special training".

The only reason Robyn no longer had a black eye was because the blue haired half-elf allowed a white mage named Silva to heal our feisty new recruit.

However, I did begin to hear some other types of commentary floating around the Base as well, and these ones... They weren't mesmerized or light hearted teasing. Rather, they were harsh words and criticisms about her. And just her. No one made accusations against Lord Yuan, be it his decision to bring in a young human girl onto the Renegades or that - of all people - it was someone who was practically family.

It was just them whispering racist, cruel things to each other about how she was different from everyone else at home.

But right from the start, I didn't treat her different. To me, Robyn was just another recruit, another student for me to teach. When she made a correct maneuver, I didn't praise her more than I would another. When she failed, I pointed out her flaws like anyone else.

And when she was disobedient...

Well...

"Robyn, for the final time: stop _complaining_ ," I scolded when I got passed her weak defenses again. And she wasn't the only one losing her temper; I was getting very close to my limit, which was a near-impossible feat.

It was two hours or so after lunch, and we were back in the training room, now empty of any spectators. I didn't understand what had happened between the hour break I had given her and resuming her combat knife stances, but it had affected not only her performance but her attitude as well.

Robyn spat as she once again picked herself off the floor. "Oh, I'm sorry. You're right, I _should_ be calm about my miserable failures," she grunted with a small scowl.

I let out a long, exasperated sigh. "We've been over this," I reminded. "You won't be going out on a mission for a long time-"

" **Because I'll just be a useless burden, you don't have to remind me!** " she bellowed.

That caught me by surprise. When had I ever said or implied that? "Robyn, I-"

"Oh, don't start with that whole, 'That isn't true' speech," the human snorted. "You believe it, too. That's why you aren't taking this seriously, that's why you've been _toying_ with me!"

"We're only training, Robyn; of course I'm not going to go all out," I explained, trying to get her to listen to reason.

As the case with children, she was stubborn on her point. "I don't care if we're training!" Robyn hissed. "Show me what you can do! I can take it!"

Completely exasperated, I sighed and gave in. "Very well," I accepted calmly. Then I put my dual knives away and unclipped the mounts that were on my belt. Robyn dropped her annoyance in favor of confusion.

She wasn't the first one, and she wouldn't be the last.

While I am well versed in combat knives, they aren't the first choice of weapon for me. But I tended to use them more since they were easier to find and have repaired.

Claws, however, were not as well-known.

The three lightweight metal claws were close together, not making it easy on beginner or proficient blacksmiths to sharpen. Claw artes were powerful, but they were not easy to master, as was fighting with them at all. They were an extension of the arm as much as a knife or a sword, but also quite unnatural.

In short, claws were mostly glanced over and brushed aside.

I hadn't looked back, even after seventy years.

Once the mounts were over my knuckles and I had unsheathed the prongs, Robyn snapped out of her confusion and immediately dropped into a stance. I had to give her points for being focused and ready, but her legs and arms were too wide.

Again.

Because of her stance, when she leapt (of course she leapt first), the charge wasn't precise enough. I was able to dodge with little effort, and if we were training I would have left it at that. But even though her lunge was flawed, it was serious, and she had already expressed how she wanted nothing less than serious.

Fighting is an instinct mostly, and when it kicks in, it's hard to ignore.

With no second thoughts, I concentrated my mana into the right claw and swiped, the mana racing out much like a Demon Fang. It hit Robyn directly, sending her flying back and hitting the ground harder than she had before. I knew it would take much longer for her to stand this time around, so I watched as she shakily tried to push herself up.

Robyn didn't like my actions. "Why... Why won't you...fight?" she growled, winded.

"I won't kick you while you're down," I replied. "Besides, I still believe this is a bad idea."

"If you don't come at me...with everything you've got," she argued, slowly regaining air, "then I won't get...stronger. I'll just...hold everyone back."

This was getting very tiresome.

"Robyn, how old are you?" I asked.

She finally got to her knees, and she gave me a questioning look. "What does-"

"Your age. Answer me."

"Ten," Robyn huffed. "I'm ten years and one month old."

Children. Always believing the month was important, too. "And do you know how old the next youngest is?" I followed up.

Still annoyed that she had no idea where this was going, Robyn grumbled, "I don't know."

"Teru," I revealed. "He's twenty-two. And for a half-elf, that's essentially a six-year-old, maybe even younger. Do you believe he is going out on missions any time soon?" She opened her mouth, but nothing came out, and then she looked at the ground. "Exactly. Lord Yuan would not force children to go fight his battles, not unless he is certain they are absolutely prepared for it."

"Yeah, but..." She looked at the back of her right hand, staring intently at the red orb, which I noticed glowed just a tad. Her voice lowered, like she was talking more to herself. "Teru can blow things up with his mind if he so chooses. I can't so much as jump 10 feet without this stupid thing." Her hand curled into a fist, and she hissed. "If I ever lost it, I'd be a liability. I'd be about as useless as _Princess Hilda_ , the stupid blonde human girl who couldn't tell a spear from a sword if they pierced her! I'd be that stupid _princess_ of the compound like they say I _should_ be!"

Ah, there was our source of the problem.

"Some of the Renegades haven't been kind to you," I noted.

Her head shot up, like she had said all of that in her head but hadn't realized she said it aloud. Then she frowned and looked away. "Haven't been kind is putting it lightly" she muttered.

"I am surprised, though," I admitted. "You don't seem like the person who would really care if one or two people didn't like you."

"Maybe, but what if it were twenty?"

That number surprised me. "Robyn..."

"And it's not just words, either," she continued, and her fist became tighter. I could tell she was giving it everything she had to not cry. "They all glare at me like I was the one who came in and destroyed their lives and tore their families apart and- ...Why?! I didn't, and I _wouldn't_! It's just not fair-"

"The world, Robyn, has never been fair," I interrupted, and that's when she noticed she had failed at stopping the tears. As Robyn wiped them away, I continued. "When bad things happen, people look for something or someone to blame. Sometimes, the scapegoat in question has nothing to do with anything. And those people aren't worth the recognition you're trying to gain from them."

"But if I get better, then they'll change their mind!" Robyn argued.

I shook my head. "People - be they 'bland, normal' humans to the fabled fenrilra - are proud creatures who will, can, and have used others to feed their own egos," I stated. "They want you to reach their ridiculous expectations, only to make them even more ridiculous so that they taunt you for not meeting them. Those people, Robyn, are never worth trying to gain attention from."

My student looked at me for a very long time before returning her gaze to the Exsphere. "I guess that's true," she finally said. There was a sudden spark of determination in her emerald eyes, one Lord Yuan had told me was a clear indicator to not argue against whatever was on her mind. "That doesn't mean I shouldn't get stronger. If for no one else but me."

"That is a good mindset to have," I praised. "Now, will you stop with this foolishness and listen to my teachings? _Without_ complaining?"

The girl finally stood up and breathed out. "Yes, Sergeant Derrick," she responded, much calmer than she had been in weeks. I nodded and went to take off my mounts. "Wait! Can you train me with your claws on? I've been fighting against knives for weeks." I raised an eyebrow, and she shuffled her feet. "And... I think they're kind of cool."

I smiled. "Thinking of switching weapons?" I inquired.

"Oh, no! I like my knives!" she insisted. "But you look better with them."

"I _feel_ better with them," I added. "Claws have been my main weapon since I was a teenager."

Robyn tilted her head. "Elven or human teenager?"

I laughed; it had been quite a long time since I had done that when it came to my age. "I am currently somewhere in the range of being 130 and 140," I revealed. "I'll leave you to figure what that means."

"That you're in the middle or late-middle of your prime?"

"You catch on fast, my dear."

So for the following weeks, we worked on her stances. I would say she was becoming quite proficient, as her defenses were no longer as easy to break through now that she had passed the phase of keeping her limbs too far out. At the beginning of each session I would use my knives as well, but after the lunch break I would switch to my claws. It was exhilarating to use them more frequently than I had been in years past. Most trainees or others I sparred with were too scared thanks to my familiarity with my unusual weapon choice.

Not Robyn. Well, at least, she hid her fear better than most. How deadly accurate and skilled I was did have her frightened sometimes, but she held the belief that my fluidity when I wore my claws would help out her own quickness. It did, I noticed, though there were still times I caught her by complete surprise. Of course, I had been using claws for a very long time.

They are the reason I won my wife all of those years ago.

Of course, she countered that with her impossibly amazing cooking and her always gleaming eyes.

"I'm impressed with the progress you've made with her, Derrick," Lord Yuan complimented fifteen weeks into her training. We were watching her and Kail (an archer from my squad) have a sparring match from outside the training room.

"I am humbled by your compliments, Lord Yuan," I replied.

"Always the formal one," he sighed with a joking twinge. Kail jumped out of the way of Robyn's jab. "I'm not Kratos, Derrick; this place would be a lot drearier if I were."

"Lord Yuan, that's hardly the way to talk about an old friend of yours."

He chuckled, both happily and bitterly. "Perhaps, but I've always told him he's a stick-in-the-mud," he countered. His niece rolled out of the way of an ice-charged arrow. "If we can get back on topic, though, have you noticed anything strange about Robyn as of late?"

"Strange?" I repeated as I watched Kail block a swipe with his bow, struggling to push Robyn back. "Besides her anger spikes due to a few...unwanted comments, nothing noteworthy."

"I see," he stated. My archer finally threw her back, only for him to jump out of the way of a Piercing Cross, Robyn's slowly becoming go-to arte. "Maybe I should get a second opinion from a mage, then."

"Is there something that needs correction, my Lord?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"If we are talking in terms of training, nothing other than a few brush-ups on basics," he assured. "No, it's something else, and I should have known you wouldn't have an answer. You aren't very proficient in sensing mana, are you?"

No, I wasn't. Despite common misconception, not all half-elves could sense mana signatures. While I could use elemental artes, I couldn't cast magic, and therefore feeling out mana was not something that came to me.

"Is there something about her mana?" I questioned.

"I'm not sure," Lord Yuan admitted. "But it feels like her mana is much stronger than it should be. It has never been this strong in years past."

I thought about his statement. "Though, if I remember correctly, your mana becomes stronger the stronger you become," I told him.

"That is true," he agreed. "And yet... It feels like it's still too much. It's why I want a second opinion; I don't want to have any complications should something be wrong."

"Of course," I agreed.

Suddenly there was a laugh, and our attention was brought back to the training room, where Kail looked like he had complete victory. Robyn scolded herself, but her opponent waved it off. Though all we could hear was muffled words, I could tell from the broad grin Kail did enjoy the spar, and I knew it to be sincere. I had seen his face when he was faking sincerity, and it was a face you could never mistake with the real thing.

As Kail helped Robyn to her feet, Lord Yuan and I entered the room. "Excellent work, both of you," I applauded. They bowed. "Robyn, the one thing I would work on is flexibility. I appreciate your dedication to stick to form, but you will find in the heat of battle sticking to the kata will only hinder you."

"Yes sir," she responded.

"Kail," I smirked a tad as his head tilted, "center of the bow."

It took him a couple of seconds before the sandy yellow haired archer cursed under his breath. "Every time," he hissed. "Every time, I block more to the left or right."

"If that ends up being more comfortable, be my guest," I stated. Kail sighed but nodded. "Now, I do believe it's time to eat, wouldn't you agree?"

Kail instantly brightened up. There wasn't a single Renegade would disliked Dorris' cooking, but Kail was easily the most enthusiastic about it. "I hear we're having curry tonight!" he celebrated.

"Curry?" Robyn repeated.

Immediately she was snatched up by the eager man. "I swear, your lack of diversity in food is going to drive me insane," he muttered.

"Oh, _excuse_ me for growing up poor," the human grumbled. Lord Yuan rubbed both of his temples _and_ scowled.

That doesn't happen often.

"Fair. Now come on, let's get you acquainted with the best thing to ever be created by mortal hands!" Kail exclaimed.

"And I thought you said I'd go less bonkers if I was with you rather than Tweedledum and Tweedledoofus," Robyn joked dryly.

He raised an eyebrow as he began to walk out, Robyn still in his grasp. "You _really_ want Teru and Quill to keep talking your ear off?" he questioned.

Robyn sighed. "Fair."

I smiled as I watched them walk out the door. "At least there are some soldiers willing to look past her race," I said.

"And I'm glad it's the majority, too," Lord Yuan added. "Now, if-"

"You would not like Dorris to come at you with the butcher's knife, I suggest you follow me, Lord Yuan," I interrupted.

Lord Yuan sighed harshly. "I was hoping she would forget that I haven't eaten in two weeks," he mumbled.

"Unfortunately, my Lord, you gave the position of head chef to the woman with the sharpest memory," I told him.

"And whose fault is it that she's here in the first place?" he asked.

I laughed. "Yes, well, I guess I wanted to share my burden with the rest of the compound," I stated.

"Oh, I see." We both jump at the harsh tone of my wife and turned to find her standing at the doorway, arms crossed and ladle in hand. "I suppose this is what constitutes as an 'I love you' nowadays."

Women can be furious creatures if you let them be.

Doris, when she had her ladle in hand, could be the scariest of all.

I cleared my throat. "We heard it was curry tonight," I said.

"And be grateful I'm letting you have some, Derrick," she replied. I found I had nothing to say to that. "Now, come along. You two can talk _and_ walk, I hope? Or was it lost amongst the training?"

"Dorris, I can assure you Robyn is fine with the amount of training," Lord Yuan reasoned.

"Yes, which is why I saw her legs collapse from under her when Kail put her down." Now we were both without something to say. "That's the _eighth_ time in the past two weeks, and it's all because you two insist on thirteen almost-straight hours a day."

"I... Uh..."

"Indeed, Sergeant." She glared, and I feared for my safety, until she softened and smiled. "But I suppose she does look happy. So, you agree to cut down on the hours, and I think we'll all be happy."

Lord Yuan sighed silently and then looked at me with a smile. "Well, Derrick, do you think you could cut it down?" he requested.

I smiled and walked over to my wife. "For you, Dorris, I will make the days shorter," I promised. She grinned before leading us to the mess hall.

What Dorris failed to account for was that Robyn can be even more stubborn than her.


	5. Chapter 5: Strange Magic

...Wh-what just...

I-I mean, I think I have a good explanation... Maybe.

I'm just not sure how-

Um... Right. Context.

Hopefully I don't keep doing this.

Robyn was doing decently well in her training under Derrick. Her movements were becoming more precise and much quicker. Of course, Robyn had always been a fast learner, so I wasn't surprised by her advancements. That wasn't to say she didn't have a way to go, but she was getting the hang of fighting. It helped that she had always taken her lessons seriously.

She was her father's daughter, that's for sure.

There was still the issue of her high mana levels that concerned me, though. At the very least there weren't any more big jumps, and the two mages I had asked had reasonable explanations. Like Derrick, they brought up how mana can increase when training, but they also theorized that the Exsphere had something to do with it. Realizing I hadn't thought of that, I decided there was nothing to worry about.

Yeah... No.

Six months had almost passed since Robyn was recruited, and I wasn't in a very good mood. Going to Kvar's Ranch to get an update on the Angelus Project never failed to do that to me, especially if it was early in the morning like it had been that day. As if it weren't bad enough that the man was _always_ brown-nosing, his results were complete failures each and every time, which meant _I_ would be the one facing Yggdrasill's temper tantrums for an hour straight. I _would_ blame Kratos for rescuing Anna, but that's too cruel to a man who was forced to kill his own wife. Besides, Yggdrasill would have won, destroying everything the Renegades and I had worked towards.

Sometimes I think Kratos makes my life difficult to spite me.

As I passed the mess hall, I heard the sounds of an argument. Rolling my eyes, I backtracked to find Robyn and Lokus in _yet_ **_another_** shouting match. What they argued about, I never knew nor cared. I just waited until they attacked each other for a little bit before I swooped in and kicked their asses myself. It looked like they were getting close to that point, so I waited for the usual.

The usual never came.

Lokus leapt to punch as Robyn reached for her knives (now in personal holsters). But in that instant, her mana had a _huge_ spike that suddenly discharged in a powerful yet small explosion of electricity that sent anyone around the girl in a three-yard radius flying. Robyn, meanwhile, was propelled up to the ceiling and collided with it _hard_ before falling towards the floor. Luckily, Freyr caught her before she hit the ground. I'm surprised he managed to pull that off, considering all the rest of us could do was stare.

And stare.

And stare.

And stare some more.

What else could you really do, though, when you see a human cast magic?

I know that was magic and not an arte. The electricity kind of gave it away, but so did the discharge. Everyone discharges when they cast for the first time (some more powerfully than others... Don't remind me of mine), and while magic and artes both use mana, the way they feel is different. It's hard to describe, but that was magic, I could tell.

So could everyone else. Which is why we continued to stare.

And stare.

And stare.

And stare some more.

"Lord Yuan, I-" I turned to Botta, who had walked into the mess hall and found himself confused at the bewildered faces. "What happened here?" he asked.

I couldn't find my voice for a minute or so, not that any of the other Renegades were faring much better. "Your guess is as good as mine," I finally said.

Botta looked out to the crowd. "Can any of you explain?" he requested.

Not for another few minutes, and when they could they all replied, "Your guess is as good as mine."

Now Botta was _really_ confused. " _None_ of you have an answer?" my right-hand man clarified.

"I believe," Freyr finally spoke, "it's because we have witnessed something... Unusual."

"Unusual?" his younger brother Kohl repeated. "Freyr, that was nothing short of impossible!"

"Yuan, are we sure I'm not a half-elf?" Robyn questioned, her voice a tad shaky.

"You're most definitely human," I answered.

"Well, _someone_ in her family had to have elven blood!" someone from the back piped up.

When I shook my head, the whole place erupted into chaos.

Everyone was trying to come up with explanations to the impossible event. There were so many I could barely keep track of them without my head spinning in circles. Botta was at least able to catch enough to figure out what took place, and he asked me if I was sure about her family's blood. Once I got my bearings, I told him I was absolutely positive, and he too got lost in thought.

At some point, Teru and Quill both joked about how she might have been fed Aionis. They received slaps to the head for that, but it actually got me thinking.

What if, just maybe...

I grunted. My idea was a stretch, and I had a feeling if I voiced them it would cause a wild goose chase that would gain...unwanted attention. So, I decided to instead end the questions for the moment.

"Regardless!" I shouted over the noise, causing it to finally die down. "How she can isn't important. What is important is that she can."

"I can train her," Silva offered.

"Appreciated, but I don't think Robyn is going to be a white mage," I countered.

"Then I can!" Kohl volunteered.

It wouldn't have been a bad choice; despite his young age, Kohl was a good teacher. He had stepped in a few times when older, more experienced black mages were unavailable for one reason or another.

But even so...

"Thank you, Kohl, but I have someone else in mind," I stated.

They waited for my answer. Some looked eager, while others were scowling at the idea.

I smirked at it.

"I'll train her."

Suddenly, even the ones who would have refused were begging me to reconsider. Poor Robyn was confused by the whole thing, not knowing that while I was already a tough taskmaster...

Training someone, I was even worse than that.

Ignoring their cries, I walked over to Freyr and took Robyn out of his arms. He seemed _extremely_ reluctant to let me continue on my way to the training room with her, but in the end, he didn't speak up about it.

Robyn did, though.

"Wait, we're training _now_?" she questioned when we exited the mess hall. "I barely know any artes, save for Piercing Cross and Fang Rush. What makes you think I can suddenly cast magic?"

"You can, and you will," I instructed.

Clearly not liking my tone, she began to struggle. I will admit my wrist started to hurt after a while, but not enough to let her go. "Let me go!" she demanded the closer we got to the training room. "Seriously, what are you going to have me do? Just let me understand the basics first. Yuan, let go!"

I open the door to the training room and dragged Robyn in, closing the door behind us. "These are the basic," I insisted before bringing Swallow forth. The girl visibly gulped. "Now fight!"

Frantically, Robyn went for her knives, fumbling them in the process. I barely gave her time to grab her bearings as I rushed at her, swinging my double-edged blade. Derrick had done well raising her reaction time, I noticed, when she jumped back and got into position quicker than I expected. Then, her right knife glowed white, and she lunged forward.

"Fang Rush!" she shouted, and it would have pierced my armor had I not side stepped.

"Wrong," I retorted, slashing at her, which she ducked under. "You're using your mana, but not in the correct way. Again!"

"Wait, then what's the difference between artes and magic if they both use ma- AH!"

"Remember the feel of your discharge," I informed her, continuing to attack her. "That's what you should be going for."

"In case you forgot, I slammed into the ceiling!" she snapped, clashing both of her knives with Swallow. "I had trouble feeling _anything_ other than metal! Can we just talk about this first?"

I pushed her back, and she stumbled only a bit before jumping and using Piercing Cross. I grunted. "Wrong! Again!"

"Stop saying that! We should-"

"The best way to understand anything in combat is to physically perform it. Do. It. _Again!_ "

We trained for what felt like hours. Maybe it was. But I was persistent in getting Robyn to perform another lightning spell, and - while she kept insisting she couldn't - Robyn didn't back down from fighting me. I could tell she was getting more and more frustrated with each claim that she wasn't doing it right, though for the most part she kept it hidden.

Finally, though, Robyn sunk to her knees and dropped her knives, panting heavily with bruises coloring her body. I was panting as well, though not as laboriously, and I'm pretty sure I had a few shiners here and there.

"Y... Y-Yuan... I c-can't..." she panted.

But I needed to see it again. Something inside me yearned to experience the impossible and know that it came because of me. "Get up," I ordered. Robyn just continued to regain air on the ground. "I said-"

"I... _Can't_!" Robyn yelled, but then she began coughing. She stopped herself and inhaled deeply. "I don't know _how_! You don't think I'm trying?! I _am_ , but I don't know what I'm doing! I just learned I can use magic, and damn it I'm actually kind of _scared_!" I was kind of shocked at the declaration, and as tears began to run down her face, I realized perhaps I had been a bit too hasty in my eagerness and ambition. "Why can I cast? What does this make me? Do my parents know about this? Was I abandoned because I'm a freak? I don't know and I'm scared and just _leave me_ _ **alone!**_ "

There was another discharge, this one smaller and less powerful but no less stunning. But this time, when the electricity faded, her mana suddenly took a nosedive, and she crashed to the floor, fainted.

With her mana decreasing by the second.

Uh oh.

In a flash, she was in my arms, and I raced out of the room. As I sprinted for the medical wing, it occurred to me that no elf or half-elf fainted after two discharges. Usually it was if they had been through four or five in the same day. But even then, none of their mana drained like hers was doing, and certainly not as quickly.

The human body, no matter how special Robyn was, couldn't handle magic without _proper_ training.

Which - in my haste - I hadn't done.

I flung the door of the medical room open, disregarding the usual automatic opening that seemed too slow at the moment. The white mages in the room jumped and turned to me, immediately focusing their attention on Robyn.

"Sweet Luna-"

"Titus, set up the equipment! A few First Aids won't be enough."

"How is her mana draining so fast?!"

"Pardon my rudeness, Lord Yuan, but _what the hell did you do_?!"

...So who ordered, asked, and demanded what now?

I finally noticed that Robyn was out of my hands and on the bed, with Titus hooking her up to a breathing apparatus while Brook and Allora began to cast First Aid at an inhuman (er...inhalf-elf?) pace. Meanwhile, Silva was glaring daggers at me.

"Answer me, Lord Yuan, _what the hell did you_ _ **do**_ _?!_ " the white mage demanded, completely contrasting her usual polite, calm attitude.

Not used to her barking out commands, it took me a while to gather myself. "It seems I have pushed Robyn a bit too far in her training," I finally said.

"A _bit_?!" Silva screeched, her maroon eyes flaring up in unusual anger. I flinched, and the other three jumped again before going back to their task. "Lord Yuan, she is bruised, bloody, and her mana is near nonexistent! What have you been doing to the poor girl for the past six hours?!"

"Six...hours?" I repeated, like I had never heard those words before.

Bad move, because Silva _fumed_ in a way I had never seen her do before. She pushed me aside to throw the door open, and then she flung me right out. "PHOTON!" she shouted, adding injury to insult. "And you will stay out!"

"Silva, you-"

" ** _OUT!_** " And then she slammed the door.

It was silent for many moments as I stared at the room I had just been banned from. Then, I began to hear murmurs, and I looked around to find I was most certainly not alone. Embarrassed, I picked myself up and stood up straight, trying to save at least _some_ of my dignity.

"Continue about your day," I ordered. "I want results on the Mana Cannon's progress within the hour."

"Y-yes sir!" my men responded before scrambling to different parts of the Base, all of their heads down.

Once they all left, I sighed. "Some day this has turned into," I muttered.

Unfortunately, it would only get worse.

Word spread about my rough training with Robyn, and quite a few Renegades expressed their opinions. Reid smacked me in the head with a heavy textbook and then went back to reading it like he had never been disturbed. Kris snickered at how I got scolded at by the gentlest Renegade. Lokus congratulated me on putting Robyn in her place before Kail punched him and scolded me for my actions. Derrick ran to me and tried to warn me about impending doom, but we both ended up taking his wife's Hunting Beast like chumps.

"Lord Yuan, I would suggest eating for the next month," Derrick groaned.

"Duly noted, Sergeant," I replied.

Of course, it didn't end there, oh no. Chastised, punished, lectured, even _thanked_ (and then that would result in _those_ Renegades to being chastised, punished, lectured...). Eventually, I gave up walking around the Base looking for things that needed to be done and retired to my office, ordering no one to disturb me. When I was in the office, I flopped into my chair and sighed, rubbing my temples to ease the headache.

"Great Spirits, I ask for _rest_ ," I prayed before thunking my head on the desk and stretching my arms out. Something tapped onto my fingers, and I looked up to find the picture frame I had toppled over thanks to my actions. I looked up and grabbed it, knowing exactly what it was as I flipped it:

Martel and I on the day I proposed, looking ecstatic about a peaceful life together.

What a laugh.

And yet... 4,000 years haven't dulled her smile.

"Martel, do you think I deserve this?" I asked, knowing I'd get no answer. Then I sighed again. "Of course she would think that, Yuan. 'That and a _thousand-fold_!' she'd say. 'How dare you put such a sweet girl through vigorous training! Imagine, my soft-hearted Yuan becoming like that drill sergeant, Kratos!'"

"'I think Kratos is an excellent teacher, Sister'."

"'You're not allowed an opinion on the matter, Mithos. You seem to _enjoy_ getting beat up by Kratos for eight hours of the day'."

"'Hey, I don't get beat up!'"

"'Tell that to the disgusting bruises I had to heal yesterday, and the day before, and the day before before'."

"'One does not get better if they do not train, Martel'."

"...I'm not allowed to ask my pictures questions anymore," I told myself for the umpteenth time before groaning and laying my head back down.

"Lord Yuan."

I looked up to find Botta had entered, and I sighed. "Are you here to lecture me, too?" I grumbled, sitting up and placing the picture in its usual spot. "I wouldn't be surprised if Martel reawakened _just_ to tell me off a _fiftieth time_ this afternoon." _And beat me up, too._

"Well, I wouldn't say you don't deserve it," Botta replied. I growled. "But that's not what I came in here for. I wanted to propose another idea about why Robyn has the ability to use magic."

"Very well," I allowed.

Botta nodded. "It actually has to do with what Teru and Quill brought up earlier, about the Aionis," he began. I raised an eyebrow. "Not that _she_ ingested it, but perhaps one of her _parents_ did."

"I see. You believe the magic they inherited was passed down," I noted. "But Botta, you're forgetting one valuable fact: any human that ingested Aionis would have died from the increase in mana."

"But not Kratos."

I suddenly sat up straighter, realizing Botta had come to the same conclusion I had. But then I narrowed my eyes. "Are you suggesting Kratos had a _second_ child under our noses?" I asked. "And not only that, but that this child _survived_? Then on top of _that_ , this mysterious child is Robyn?"

"Is that last one even a question, Lord Yuan?" my right hand countered. My thumb began to run over my ring - an unfortunate nervous habit - and Botta noted it with a glance. "No one else questioned it when Robyn arrived; they were too busy focusing on the fact that she's human. But it didn't slip by me. She is just a human child; why would you take such interest in her, even if her skills are relatively high for someone her age? Then it hit me: you're watching her as a favor. And there's only one man you'd ever consider doing such a thing for."

"True," I admitted, keeping face. "I would do Kratos a favor, assuming it's within reasonable measures. But as you remember, once Anna was with him, we kept close eye on them. Even when they were in Tethe'alla, we watched them."

"No, _you_ watched them," Botta reminded. I grunted without helping it. "Lord Yuan, I wouldn't be angry if this is all true. I just want to make sure my hunch is correct, and I believe it is."

"And if it were true, what then?" I inquired.

"We could finally accomplish our goal," he answered. For once, I didn't follow. "This is what we've been waiting for, Lord Yuan: a chance to back Kratos into a corner. If we use her as bait, we can-"

"Robyn will not be used as leverage to get the Eternal Sword, understand?!" I barked, standing up so fast my chair fell backwards with a loud _THUD_.

Botta was taken aback. "Lord Yuan?"

"First, none of us _can use_ the Eternal Sword," I continued, still furious, and most likely in that state my mouth would work ahead of my brain. "Second, even if we _could_ use the Eternal Sword, we can't take on Origin. Third, _even_ _ **if**_ we could take on Origin, _none_ of us can take on Yggdrasill. And _most importantly_ , I am not using Robyn as bait for _anything_ , and it's not just because she's my oldest friend's daughter!"

See... Like that.

We stared at each in silence for a very long time, and eventually I sighed before I stood up and marched over to him. "You are to speak of this to no one," I commanded, "and you are not to mention your idea again. I will exhaust _every_ option I have before using Robyn. The Mana Cannon is first and foremost, understand, Botta?"

"Of course, Lord Yuan," he responded. He bowed his head. "I am sorry bringing it up. I should have known it would not go over well."

I sighed again. "And I didn't mean to lash out," I replied. "It's just been...a long day."

"It has," Botta agreed. "Trying to teach someone magic is one thing; trying to teach a _human_ magic is another. I do not necessarily blame you for your actions today, Lord Yuan, although I do agree they were extreme. But I believe you should take some time off to clear your head, and not here in your office. Perhaps not even in Sylvarant."

For a third time, I sighed. "Perhaps I should." I began to walk to the door. "Maybe I should talk with Meredith. I haven't spoken with her recently, and..."

Wait...

Uh oh.

Again.

Without another word, I sprinted to the warp point, ignoring my confused men. Even the few that were in the Flanoir Base were concerned with my sudden urgency, but I paid them no heed as I exited the Base and flew for Meltokio as fast as I could.

Six months had passed, and not even sending a _letter_ to Meredith about Robyn's well-being had crossed my mind. If it were any other day, I think she would be a bit agitated but nothing too serious. On a day like today, though, where four white mages were tending to her adoptive daughter vigorously in hopes of making sure she made it to the next day?

This wouldn't be pretty.

The first place I looked was actually the Slums, since I now knew that's where Meredith lived. But lo and behold, when I _wanted_ her to be at the less-than-desirable home that was her tent, she wasn't there. I began asking around the decrepit section of the city, hoping to find a lead. Some people didn't know her, others weren't sure of where she had gone, and a handful gave me curious glances.

It was either the armor or the hair. Both were understandable options.

Finally, I came across a kid who said she was going on her usual trip to Sybak. Realizing that was where Meredith and Robyn were always going to/coming from, I thanked the kid and quickly head out of Meltokio, taking the route I usually took to find them.

"Note to self, don't deviate from the path _ever_ ," I sighed.

Meredith was about half a day away from the Grand Bridge when I spotted her. I swooped down and called out to her, making her stop and look up. The closer I got, the easier it was to see her smile, making me at ease and yet anxious at the same time. I touched down next to her, and before I could even open my mouth, she said, "Think you can get rid of these guys before we talk?"

"These guys?" I repeated.

Then I heard someone hiss, "Damn it, how does she know we're here every time?"

...The only thing that could make this day _even better_ was if the worlds suddenly imploded.

"I swear that woman is a superhuman freak," another man whispered.

"Forget her for a moment, how about her company?" a third one piped up. "Did he just _fly_?"

"Meredith, I have the _biggest_ headache right now," I groaned.

She laughed her familiar gut-filled laugh, and I smiled a tad. "Long day?" she asked.

"Something like that."

"Hey, quit ignoring us, lady!" the first man demanded, and with that he and his partners jumped out of their hiding spots from behind the trees.

I eyed them. "Friends of yours?" I questioned.

"No," Meredith answered, not at all bothered by their weapons or imposing glares. She grinned. "Do you think you could chase them away? I do it all the time, and it gets tiring."

 _All the time, huh..._ "I think I can take over for the day," I decided.

"Like hell you will, pretty boy!" the first one shouted before he lunged, his machete ready to slash.

I responded with a kick to his stomach.

He flew back and hit a tree, all of the air escaping his lungs. His partners watched him slump to the ground before glaring at me. Well, _trying_ to glare, anyway. They stopped when they noticed I had summoned Swallow.

"Now, I suggest you leave this woman alone and forget what you saw today," I threatened. Then I pointed a blade at them. "If I hear you bothering her or speaking of this, don't expect any mercy."

They didn't even test me; they just grabbed their fallen comrade and ran for the hills.

"Yuan, that was great!" Meredith laughed. "I don't think I've seen them run so fast!"

I dematerialized Swallow and turned to her. "About them..."

"Persistent 'rivals' who give thieves a bad name," she explained. "They've been trying to steal from me for years, but they aren't all that good. Even Robyn got a good hit on one of them. Did you see the giant scar on the side of the guy that you knocked out's head? That was her giving him a good kick when she was six."

Immediately, I flopped on my back, announcing I was tired. Meredith laughed again.

My timing had been perfect since Meredith said she was going to stop soon, so we set up camp not too far from our current position. When she began to put meat on the fire, she was surprised when I asked for my own share. It wasn't surprising, since I never took food from her because I "had food beforehand". But I was too exhausted for my angelic powers to ignore my natural needs. She smiled at my explanation and put some more meat on without a second thought.

"So, what made today so exhausting that you decided to see me for the first time in six months?" she asked as she handed me a meat sandwich.

"It's a long story," I sighed.

"We have a long night," she replied.

I decided to at least take a bite of my food first before I began, but I didn't expect the taste that hit my tongue to distract me. "What kind of bread is this?" I questioned.

"My bread," she responded.

" _Your_ bread?" She beamed, and I stared at the sandwich. I knew Meredith was a bread maker, but I didn't realize she was _this_ good. "Wow. I'm impressed."

"I'm no five-star cook, but I can bake bread better than the best of them," she boasted. I believed her.

It took much longer than I thought it would to tell her about my long day, considering I would stop to eat and savor the sandwich. But eventually I told her about Kvar's failure (in vague terms), Yggdrasill's temper tantrum, Robyn and Lokus' fight, the discharge (and what a discharge was), training Robyn, and the criticisms I got afterwards.

When I finished, I expected Meredith to lash out like Dorris had (or maybe even worse), but surprisingly she was absolutely calm. "So, my birdie can use magic, huh?" she stated, taking a sip of her tea. "That must have been shocking."

I opened my mouth to reply, but then I noticed what she said. I groaned. "You're banned from talking about magic," I directed. Meredith laughed. "But seriously, you're not mad?"

She took another sip. "When I first realized Robyn had a knack for thievery," she began, "I was eager to teach. I pushed her into the field with no explanation, and the only reason Robyn wasn't caught was because I swooped in at the last second. She didn't talk to me for a week, but when the week had passed, we talked about the basics and worked from there. And now..." She eyed me and smiled. "Now she works for her uncle as a soldier."

The fire crackled as I silently contemplated her words. "So, do you think she'll like learning magic?" I finally wondered aloud.

"Thieving and magic are different," Meredith pointed out. "Anyone can steal; not everyone can cast magic. I'm not sure if she'll be too scared to try it, or if she'll believe that it would be better to use it. Whatever her choice, I'll say this: take your time with her. Robyn learns quickly, but only if you give her the right tools."

I smiled, suddenly feeling nostalgic and saddened. "She never ceases to remind me she's her father's daughter," I muttered.

Meredith chuckled. "My, my, Yuan, is that a bit of jealousy I hear?" she teased.

Glaring slightly yet smirking, I threw a pebble at her, deliberately making it easy for her to dodge. "Never mind, I forbid you from talking at all," I told her. She began laughing really hard, and because of it she ended up falling off her log. I began to snicker, and then I heard something whiz through the air. I leaned away from the pebble she had thrown back.

"And you aren't allowed to dodge my throws!" she shouted, though there was a huge grin on her face. "They probably don't affect you, anyway, so just take them like a man!"

I shrugged with a smug look on my face. She growled a little, and I smirked even wider, expecting it to end there. I definitely didn't expect her to lunge at me, tackling us both to the floor. I blinked in surprise, and after a while she began to laugh her usual laugh. Soon, I cracked a smile and chuckled a bit, too. Then, I looked up at the sky, noticing that sunset was almost upon us.

"When I return to the Base, I have to tell Botta this was one of his best ideas," I thought aloud. "Not that he's short of good ideas."

It's rare to hear Meredith giggle, but she did. I smiled a bit more hearing the unusual sound. "Are you planning on going back soon?" she asked.

"Originally," I revealed. "But..." I yawned. "I'm tired, for once, even if I don't want to be. I guess I'll just sleep here for the night."

"Why don't you want to be tired?" Meredith questioned.

"I..." I yawned again. "I dream. I don't like to dream."

She made a quizzical noise, but she didn't push the issue. She just laid at my side silently, and we watched the sky transition into night. When the stars began to shine brightly, I found I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

Maybe, after a long day like this, I deserved to dream just once.


End file.
